Fiction, Food, Faith and everything in-between

I never feel as if I read enough during Advent. Or perhaps I don't read Advent books. I always read fiction through out the year but I don't really prepare to read for Advent. Advent is the kind of season which will be missed if you blink. It is smothered by Christmas preparations, shopping, Carol services, arrangements to see family, haste, haste, haste and TV adverts. We are bombarded by what we should buy, do, where we should go, and the enforced gaiety.  I always do my best to push back against the pressure. Obviously I want to teach and preach something that brings Advent and Christmas to life for those around me but there is also a need within me which calls me to slow down, be gentle to myself and listen. I want to shield myself from the lights and the noise and just wait. This year I decided to do some intentional Advent studies. I am finishing up the reflections I have been following this year, and I am also reading Advent reflections.  I need to find myself this Adve...

Obviously it is cold. It is December and winter, and we have had storms, snow, rain and short, dark, days. This is what happens during UK winters,  but I am warm and cosy at home and I am also very grateful.  This comfort should not be taken for granted. Christmas can be such a hard time for people, especially those who are homeless or living in inadequate accommodation. Some people will be struggling with rising fuel and food costs this winter and many people will be lonely. Then there is a new Covid variant and all the difficulties of living through the pandemic. It is very easy to take life for granted. I have an incredibly interesting job and a good employer. My employer recognises the complexity of the pandemic and the impact of this on the seafarers we serve and on our own lives. Life is stressful and it will continue to be for some time to come. This world has always been a stressful place for some, but now the stress touches all of us because even if you are financiall...

Jamie Oliver has a cook book club on Facebook. It is great fun. Every month he recommends a book and club members buy the book and post pictures of their cooking. He arranges on line sessions with the authors and they also leave comments and helpful suggestions in the group. Jamie also posts some free recipes from the book on his own website so that we can 'try before we buy' the book. This is also a good way of involving people who might not be able to afford the book.   The book club recipies are here   https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/cookbook-club/ Last month the book was 'East' by  Meera Sodha. These are described as Asian inspired vegetarian and vegan recipes.   I was still trying out recipes from an earlier book but I decided to try out the 'Salted Miso Brownies' which is a free recipe and is on Jamie's website here  https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/sweets-and-desserts-recipes/salted-miso-brownies/ It says on the we...

  Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition     I was really surprised and intrigued when I heard that the ‘Sistine Chapel’ had arrived in Tottenham and so I decided to check out the exhibition for myself. The exhibition reproduces Michelangelo’s paintings that are in the Sistine Chapel in Rome. The paintings are made larger than those in the chapel, and in this way, people are able to see how amazing these paintings are. I don't know much about Michelangelo. I remember watching the film, ‘The Agony and the Ecstasy’ as a child, which is all about how Michelangelo painted the ceilings between 1508 and 1512 and the difficulties he had with Pope Julius II at the time. As a child I remember how difficult and painful this process seemed to be. Now as an adult it is actually quite amazing to be able to see these excellent paintings.     The exhibition has used technology to reproduce the paintings and make them larger and now because they are larger and...

Yesterday Waterstones book shop held a zoom event with the finalists from the 2021 Great British Bake Off.  Jenny Éclair (appropriately named) was the host and it was so good to see Crystelle, Giuseppe (winner) and Chigs again. It has been a real pleasure to watch GBBO this year and to see the camaraderie and support and talent of all the bakers. I think staying in a group and living together in a bubble must have really enhanced their relationships with each other. In the interview Chigs did say that they had been learning from each other in the practice tent and tasting each other's creations.  I watched GBBO each week and I also watched Extra Slice which is the chat show that reviews the Bake Off episode for that week. Bake Off was the highlight of my week. I am not a great cake maker but I do like to try the occasional recipe. I think bread and buns are my favourites at the moment but I do think that I might develop my cake baking and decorating skills at some ...